The Fables of Kalilah and Dimnah: Adapted and translated from the Sanskrit through the Pahlavi into Arabic by Abdullah ibn al-Muqaffa AD 750

Title

en_US The Fables of Kalilah and Dimnah: Adapted and translated from the Sanskrit through the Pahlavi into Arabic by Abdullah ibn al-Muqaffa AD 750

Description

en_US This is a hardbound book (hard cover)

en_US This book has a dust jacket (book cover)

en_US Original language: ara

en_US Translated from the Arabic by Saleh Saadeh Jallad

Creator

en_US Ibn al-Muqaffaʻ See all items with this value

Contributor

en_US Saikaly, Myriam Misk

Date

2016-01-25T19:28:56Z

en_US 2002-07

en_US 2002

Date Available

2016-01-25T19:28:56Z

Date Issued

en_US 2002

Abstract

en_US Seventeen chapters on 247 pages are preceded by four important elements that are part of the story itself: The Introduction to the Book, Dabshalim the King and Baydaba [Bidpai] the Philosopher, The Mission of Barzawayh the Physician to India, and Barzawayh. Three of these have a number of fables within them. The first chapter is then the traditional The Fable of the Lion and the Bull. There is an opening T of C, with mention of each of the fables in each chapter. The illustrations for each book and selected stories, in black and white and gray with Islamic script, are rather primitive. The illustrations for The Monkey and the Carpenter (82) and The Drake and the Crab (92) certainly get the fables' situations wrong. The book actually starts with a translator's foreword that begins from Arabic culture and Islamic faith and their contributions to the world. In this setting, the life of ibn al-Muqaffa is presented. K&D was long the second most popular book in Islam, after the Quran. Ibn's Arabic has survived; the Sanskrit and Pahlavi have not. The work stresses classic themes but highlights the positive role of the scholar in government and society. Some of the individual fables in the work are probably Ibn's creations. This is the fullest version I have seen of K&D. It includes al-Muqaffa's introduction, including the key statement: The book thus infuses wisdom with amusement. The chapters include stories I have not read before, including several that La Fontaine picked up. It was worth studying this book in some detail.

Identifier

en_US 1901764141

en_US 5105 (Access ID)

uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10504/80693

Language

en_US eng

Publisher

en_US Melisende

en_US London

Subject

en_US PN989.I5 B4 2002 See all items with this value

en_US K&D See all items with this value

en_US Title Page Scanned See all items with this value

Type

en_US Book, Whole